A new study has revealed why hair loss is associated with increased rates of skin cancer.
It turns out the simplest explanation is the right one – a lack of hair means one’s scalp and neck are more exposed to direct sunlight.
But the researchers from QIMR Berghofer said they had to run multiple genetic tests to rule out a possible link to testosterone, which had previously been theorised to drive melanoma development.
“Testosterone levels are a major driver of male pattern baldness, and some studies suggest they may also contribute to this increased skin cancer risk in people with hair loss,” lead researcher Dr Jue-Sheng Ong said.
“The more obvious explanation would be that people with hair loss receive greater sun exposure to their head and neck.
“We sought to find clear answers and unsurprisingly, it appears the more common-sense explanation is the correct one.
“Balding men are more susceptible to sun damage and skin cancer because they have less hair protection.”
In a sense, therefore, testosterone levels do have a link to skin cancer – simply not a direct one.
While the explanation may seem self-evident, the research team said they needed to run extensive genetic analyses to provide evidence-based insight into the relationship between baldness and skin cancer.
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“It’s important that we investigate and prove causality to inform the best evidence-based prevention for deadly skin cancers – even if the answers seem obvious,” senior researcher Associate Professor Matthew Law said.
“Health programs and interventions cannot be guided by assumptions. They need to be backed by evidence if they’re to work.”
Interestingly, researchers also found an overlap between the genes that cause hair loss, and genes which affect skin pigmentation.
“Skin colour is a known risk factor for skin cancer, and these results suggest pigmentation may also contribute to this increased risk in people with hair loss,” Ong said.
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Melanoma Institute Australia co-medical directors Professor Richard Scolyer and Professor Georgina Long said research into the genetic drivers of skin cancer was critical.
“Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, with one person diagnosed every 30 minutes, so greater understanding of which groups in the population are at increased risk helps us target them with preventative and early detection strategies,” Long said.
